Wanted - Dead or Alive
by Lord Agravane the Undead
Summary: Lucas is fed up because he keeps losing Pokemon battles to Cyrus (and subsequently having to perform embarrassing forfeits). So when he hears there's a powerful Groundeon (Eevee's ground Eeveelution) on the run, he decides to try and capture it. The only problem is, it's believed to be a mass murderer. (Also featuring Cyrus, Prof Rowan and Bebe).
1. Chapter 1

**Wanted Dead or Alive **

_By Lord Agravane the Undead_

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon and I wrote everything while sober. F*ck yeah, being sober.

* * *

_**Notes:**__ Set in the Pokemon Platinum game universe, about 2009. I aged Lucas and his mates up a bit so they can do crazy stuff without getting grounded._

_For some reason, Solaceon Town always gave off a Western vibe to me, so the story has quite a heavy Western influence in parts xD_

* * *

_High Street, Solaceon Town_

Lucas stood in the centre of the dusty street, his Pokeball clutched in his hand. The air all around him was still; too still and too quiet. Not a breath of wind stirred, not a sound could be heard, save for the pounding of his heart.

Behind him stood his girlfriend, Dawn and his best mate, Barry. Lucas could feel the support radiating out from them but he didn't look back. He couldn't. Not when he was determined to keep eye contact with his challenger, who stood at the far end of the street.

Cyrus. The man without emotion, or so it was whispered. The man who always beat Lucas in every single Pokemon battle they had fought so far.

Until now.

A sepulchral sound spilt the air, causing the hairs on the back of Lucas' neck to prickle.

The Town Hall clock. Striking the hour of noon.

Lucas pressed the button on his Pokeball. "Go Pip!" he yelled, as his Empoleon burst forth.

"Go Weavile", said Cyrus in his usual monotone. His Weavile was released and the two Pokemon stood there, eyeing each other up.

"Pip, use Hydro Pump!" Lucas yelled, aware that even though he was 18 and his voice had broken some years beforehand, he still sounded much higher than Cyrus.

Pip fired out a gigantic blast of water, hitting Weavile right on. The water exploded all around, soaking the houses and shops and turning the dirt road into a slurry of mud. Barry and Dawn cheered and Lucas grinned in delight.

Weavile shrugged and blinked, hardly affected at all. Lucas' smile faded.

"Weavile, use Dark Pulse", said Cyrus, sounding a million times more badass than Lucas could ever hope to sound. The powerful Dark attack hit Pip and drained his energy in a one-hit K.O.

"No, oh nooooooooooooooooooooo!" Lucas shrieked. "Come on Pip, you can do it! Please!"

Pip lay motionless on the road, completely out for the count.

"Urrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" groaned Lucas, clutching his head in his hands. "I can't believe it. We lost AGAIN!"

Dawn and Barry hurried over to him. "Cheer up Lucas", said Barry. "You fought really well and you got Pip out first and I was really impressed with how cool and calm you were, even if towards the end you did sound kinda like a Mary Sue high school girl".

"Never mind sweetie, you did your best", said Dawn, kissing Lucas on the cheek. "You'll beat Cyrus next time, I'm sure of it".

"Y-yeah, I guess so", Lucas sighed. He glanced up and over to where Saturn and Mars were congratulating Cyrus on his victory. Saturn had got one arm around Cyrus' neck and was giving him a noggie with his free hand. Mars was cuddling Cyrus and kissing him all over his face. Cyrus stood there, stiff as a board and wearing his usual deadpan expression.

"Hahaha, well done mate, you really trashed Lucas that time", said Saturn. "How about the forfeit now?"

"If you two will release me, I will see to it", said Cyrus.

Saturn and Mars stepped away from Cyrus, both of them grinning evilly. Cyrus walked over to Lucas, until they were about a foot apart. Then, he unzipped his jacket, removed it and handed it to Lucas.

Lucas sighed, took the jacket and slipped it on. Saturn and Mars were smirking and Barry and Dawn were giving Lucas their most sympathetic looks.

"Remember, you have to wear it for a week", said Cyrus. He checked his watch. "The time is 12:23 and 17 seconds, exactly. So you must come back here in 168 hours or 10,080 minutes or 604,800 seconds, whichever you prefer to count by. Then, your forfeit will be over and you can return my jacket".

"Believe me, I won't be a single second late", said Lucas.

"Hey, cheer up Lucas, it actually suits you", said Barry. "Well, I mean it would suit your more if it didn't have the logo of a villainous team on it.

"Thanks, Barry", said Lucas. "Somehow, I feel much better now".

"And remember, you have to keep it on all the time", Saturn grinned. "That means in bed too!"

"Ugh! I shall dream about Cyrus if I have to do that", Lucas shuddered.

"You say that as if it is a bad thing!" said Mars.

"Come on now, we must leave", Cyrus said. "We have important things to do".

"Bye Lucas", said Saturn, as they walked off in the opposite direction. "Enjoy yourself!"

Lucas stared after them, shoulders slumped. As they left, Mars took hold of Cyrus' arm and said to him, "Cyrus, can I borrow one of your jackets to sleep in tonight?"

"Come on, Cupcake", Dawn said, patting Lucas on the shoulder. "Let's go to the Pokemon Centre and get Pip healed up".

* * *

Five minutes later, Lucas, Dawn and Barry arrived at the Solaceon Town Pokemon Centre. As they stepped in through the revolving doors, they noticed that there seemed to be a bit of a ruckus going on. Men and women of both sexes were agitated, muttering amongst themselves and talking nervously on their mobile phones.

"What's up with everybody?" Lucas muttered. "They seem scared".

"It's cus a member of Team Galactic has just walked in", said Barry.

"Hahaha, funny mate", said Lucas. They went over to the counter, where Nurse Wendy was chatting on her mobile, a worried expression on her face.

"Yes, there's been sightings, Auntie" she was saying. "Bert from the general store swears blind he saw him down in the Ruins, early Sunday morning. No, no, he wasn't drunk".

"Seen who?" Dawn whispered to the boys.

"Dunno but it's sure worrying the people in here", said Lucas. Here and there, they caught snippets of conversation about sightings of somebody...or something.

"Yes Auntie, I really must go now, I have customers", Nurse Wendy was saying. "I'll be careful, I promise. I won't go out without my strongest Pokemon. Bye bye Auntie, speak soon".

She pressed the end call button and put her phone down on the counter. Then she looked up at Lucas and the others and smiled weakly.

"Good afternoon dears", Nurse Wendy said. "How may I help you?"

"Can you heal my Empoleon please?" said Lucas, handing over his Pokeball.

"Of course dear", said Nurse Wendy.

"And can you tell us what's going on in here?" Dawn asked. "Why is everybody so worried? Who have they seen?"

"Oh my!" Nurse Wendy exclaimed, clasping her hand to her bosom. "Y-you mean, you haven't heard the news?"

"No, we've been out battling our Pokemon all morning and stuff like that", said Barry. "What was on the news? Was it something scary?"

Nurse Wendy didn't speak. Instead, she gulped and pointed towards a huge poster on the nearby wall.

It was an old, faded image of a fierce looking Pokemon. A Groundeon, a rare type of Eeveelution. The Groundeon was scowling at the camera, teeth dripping with a dark red substance. Underneath its image, were some imposing words.

**WANTED - DEAD OR ALIVE**

**Terrance Jason Heliodor the Groundeon**

**For the assault, battery and probable murder of ten men**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes:**

_Thank you to everybody who has commented, you guys rock!_

_Here comes Part 2. There is a lot of exposition in this chapter, sorry about that. We'll resume action shortly in Part 3._

_Warning: I like my Part 2s like a buddy of mine likes his chocolate. Dark and bitter. Which is precicesly why the characters are drinking tea, as tea is a cure for everything._

* * *

_Prof Rowan's Lab: Sandgem Town_

"Here we go", said Professor Rowan, setting a silver tray down onto a little wooden table. "There's nothing like a good cup of hot tea when you've just heard a murderous Eeveelution is on the loose again after last been seen eleven years ago and presumed dead by the general population".

"Thank you Professor", said Dawn. Barry grinned and Lucas relaxed and leaned back into the cushy settee.

"Not a problem, not a problem", said Professor Rowan. He picked up the Willow patterned teapot and poured some tea into each of the four cups. "Here we go then. Is it three sugars for you, Barry lad? And you don't like too much milk, Dawn? And Lucas...have you joined Team Galactic?"

"What? NO!" Lucas blurted out, while Barry yelled with laughter. "It was a bet that went wrong...honestly, Professor! It's a long story".

"Hmmm, well you can tell me later, eh? Right now, I'm assuming you youngsters wish to hear about the Groundeon".

"Ohh, yes please", said Dawn. "What is the tale behind him?"

"Let's see..."...Professor Rowan stood up and went over to a chest of drawers. Rummaging through the contents for a couple of minutes, he pulled out an old yellowed newspaper. He sat down again, opposite Lucas and the others and held the paper out to them.

"Here you go. The only newspaper brave enough to report the details".

Dawn took the paper and unfolded it carefully. Lucas and Barry leaned over her, breathing down her neck.

"The Jubilife Gazette", Dawn read out aloud. "Wednesday, October 7th, 1998".

"Oooh, look at the headline", said Lucas, pointing below.

**GROUNDEON ON RAMPAGE - KILLS AND EATS TEN MEN!**

"Oh yuck, man that's rank", Barry gasped. "A cannibalistic Groundeon".

"No, he's not a cannibal", Dawn pointed out. "A cannibal eats its own species. If Terry was a cannibal, he'd be eating other Groundeons".

"Oh Arceus! You're using his name!" Barry looked at Lucas. "Dawn's using his name. She's going to want to help the fugitive Eeveelution".

"Barry, stop being immature", said Dawn. She sipped her tea, then began to read aloud again.

"A wild Groundeon is on the run after breaking into and attacking a top secret location that our reporters don't dare to mention. From what little we know, the Pokemon known only as Terry, smashed a wall with Hyper Beam, wrecked sensitive equipment with Earthquake, burst water pipes with Ice Beam and then knocked ten men unconscious with Last Resort. It was then said that the Eeveelution devoured them while still alive, eating their flesh and chewing the marrow from their bones".

Lucas, who had been about to help himself to a Rich Tea biscuit, changed his mind.

"The top secret location is believed to have closed down after the horrific attack. The secret police were sent out but the Groundeon escaped, vanishing without trace.

People are cautioned not to approach this Pokemon, under any circumstances. Eevees are rare in Sinnoh and Groundeons even more so but Terry can be identified by one characteristic. His left foreleg is bent at an odd angle and he walks with an obvious limp".

"That's all", said Dawn, handing the paper back to Professor Rowan.

"Wow!" Barry breathed. "So, there's a man-eating Groundeon with a gammy leg lurking in the Solaceon Ruins. Awesome!"

Lucas gazed at his teacup, a dreamy expression on his face. "A powerful Groundeon", he murmured.

"Humph!" said Professor Rowan, dunking a Custard Cream in his tea. "The trouble with newspapers is that they only report half the facts. Don't tell you what provoked the Pokemon, do they?"

"There! I knew that there was more to it", Dawn said at once. "What happened, Professor?"

"Well now..."...Professor Rowan settled back comfortably in his armchair.

"About twelve years ago, Bebe was visiting Volkner in Sunyshore City and she had some baby Eevees with her. As they drank coffee, Bebe let the Eevees out to play and they romped around the living room happily. However, the window was slightly ajar and one fearless Eevee squeezed out through the gap and ran away.

Bebe and Volkner quickly returned the other Eevees to their Pokeballs and went out looking for the runaway. They searched high and low but there was no sign of him. Dejected, they returned to Volkner's apartment that evening, hoping that the Eevee was safe.

The next morning, there was a knock at the door. Volkner answered it and it was a teenage boy, a little younger thatn you three. He'd got the Eevee with him; said it'd ran out into the road near his house and been hit by a car. He'd splinted the leg and cared for the Eevee overnight. Both Volkner and Bebe saw that the Eevee was devoted to the young lad and wouldn't leave his side. So, Bebe gave the Eevee to him and he promised to look after it and train it well".

"Oh, how sweet!" Dawn exclaimed. Barry rolled his eyes.

"Dawn, this is about that dangerous killer Groundeon, don't you know that is who Professor Rowan is telling us about. The one that eats people".

"The super strong, powerful Groundeon that would probably win any battle it took part in", Lucas mused, reaching for a Rich Tea.

"Barry, it's a baby here", Dawn said patiently. "A cute little baby Eevee, all fuzzy and soft with big shiny eyes and a floofy tail".

"Uhum", said Professor Rowan. He drank some more of his tea. "Very loyal, those Eevees are. You bond with one, he or she is devoted to you for life".

"What happened next Professor?" Dawn asked.

"Well, this is where I don't know so much", Professor Rowan said. "But from what I do know, the trainer ended up in a spot of trouble".

"Why? What did he do?"

"It wasn't what he did, rather what some did to him. Tell me lass, when you graduated from high school, what did your parents do?"

"They told me how proud they were of me and threw a big party for me", said Dawn.

"Hahaha, Lucas got drunk then", Barry said gleefully. "He came outside in his Mom's cocktail dress and treated us all to a striptease".

"Barry, shut up!" said Lucas, blushing.

"Hmm, not everybody is so lucky", Professor Rowan sighed.

"You mean cus they didn't see Lucas in the..."...Barry began but Lucas clamped his hand over Barry's mouth.

"Shh, lad, I meant the trainer", said Professor Rowan. "He graduated a year early, with top marks in everything. But his parents weren't impressed because they had just found out he was a high-functioning autistic. They sent him to, ahem...a _top secret location _to 'cure' him. Read, electric shock collars. Nasty business, in my opinion".

"Oh! That's awful!" Barry exclaimed.

"How horrible!" Dawn gasped and Lucas was so concerned, he didn't notice his Rich Tea going soggy and it fell into his cup with a splash.

"Isn't it", agreed Professor Rowan. "That lad had his head screwed on right though, he evolved his Eevee into a Groundeon as soon as possible. Just had time to teach it Earthquake and Hyperbeam, I'll warrant. Then when the staff came to fit him, he must have let the Groundeon out. It saw its trainer in peril and attacked.

So what did the Groundeon do? Exactly what it said in the Jubilife Gazette, except for eating those men. It'd be far more concerned with helping its trainer to safety".

"Ohhh, how noble!" Dawn gasped. "What a gallant, courageous Pokemon Terry is!"

"He's not really a man-eater then?" Barry said, disappointed.

"No, course not", snorted Professor Rowan. "That was just the paper, sensationalising things. I think..."...

"And then what happened?" Lucas asked. "Did they escape?"

"Well I presume so", said Professor Rowan. "Who knows, really? Everything was all hushed up, kept very quiet. The Groundeon was never seen again and after a few weeks, the excitement died down and everyone went about their lives as normal".

"Until now", said Lucas.

"Until now", Professor Rowan agreed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes:**

Here's more! Lucas is determined to capture that Groundeon, so confident in fact, that he arranges another Pokemon battle!

Groundeon will make an appearance in the next chapter :)

* * *

_The Mocha Cafe, Solaceon Town_

"Lucas, you're nuts", said Barry. "I mean, me and Dawn always knew that you were nuts and we don't care but now, well we still don't care but I just gotta tell you that you're even more nuts than you were before".

"Thanks Barry", said Lucas. "You've really raised my confidence a few notches there".

Dawn looked up from her strawberry milkshake and sighed. "Barry's right, Sweetie", she said. "You know we always support your plans and help you when we can. But..."...

"You wanna go into Solaceon Ruins and hunt for the dangerous Groundeon cus you think you can capture it and use it in your next Pokemon battle against Cyrus to whip his ass". Barry shook his head. "Nope! Not gonna work, buddy boy".

Lucas frowned. "You don't know that it won't work".

Barry rolled his eyes.

"Lucas, it will eat you. Then it will eat us. Then, your Mom, Dawn's Mom and my Mom will kill all three of us".

"But...but it's so powerful", Lucas whined. "If only I could capture it, guys".

"You can't", said Dawn. "Terry's already got a trainer. You can't steal other people's Pokemon".

"Yeah but he's not with his trainer at the moment", said Lucas. "He probably hasn't seen him in eleven years, that's even if the kid is still alive now".

"Poor Terry", sighed Dawn. "He must be awfully lonely".

"Yeah and I'll do a really good thing by befriending him and becoming his new trainer", said Lucas.

Barry snorted into his pineapple milkshake.

"Yeah because that Groundeon is reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally gonna make friends with you. Let me guess, you and you alone have some sort of mystical magnetism and while Terry would eat me and Dawn, he'll approach you, gaze at you knowingly and decide _Hey, this kid's alright_ and boom! Friendship!"

"Barry, stop mocking me" Lucas grumbled.

"Baby, Barry is just trying to be realistic", Dawn soothed, patting Lucas' shoulder.

"Hmm", said Lucas. "Maybe you're right". He patted Dawn's hand back, then assumed a steely expression.

"Five Pokebucks says I can get Groundeon to like me if we find him".

Barry nearly knocked his milkshake over.

"Ten", he replied.

Dawn glared at both boys.

"Twenty", said Lucas. "AND, if I'm right, you gotta go to the herb shop, buy an energy root and eat it".

"And if I'm right, you've gotta wear your Mom's cocktail dress again. For your next Pokemon battle with Cyrus".

"Guys, come on", said Dawn. "This is stupid".

"DONE!" said Lucas, thrusting his hand across the table. Barry smirked and shook it.

"We have a deal and Dawn, you're our witness".

"Lucky me", said Dawn, finishing off her milkshake.

* * *

As Lucas was so confident of his success, naturally, as soon as the milkshakes were drunk, he, Dawn and Barry went along to Team Galactic's Secret Hideout, to challenge Cyrus to another Pokemon battle.

"Ha, Lucas", said Saturn, answering the door to him. "Have you come to join up with us?

"Shush!" said Lucas. "I need to speak to Cyrus please".

"He's busy".

"It's about another Pokemon battle".

"Ok, I'll go fetch him".

Saturn went back inside and returned five minutes later with Cyrus and Mars. Mars looked rather disgruntled and Cyrus was emotionless, as always.

"Cyrus, I challenge you to another Pokemon Battle", said Lucas in his most dramatic voice. "You choose the time and I'll choose the place".

"Alright", said Cyrus. "Where do you want to fight?"

"Solaceon High Street again".

"Very well. We'll battle there on Saturday, at sunset". Cyrus checked his watch. "The time now is 18:15 and 33 seconds. We will battle at 20:34 and 59 seconds. As today is Wednesday, that will be in exactly 74 hours, 19 minutes and..."...

"OK, OK, done", said Lucas. "I'll be there".

"Yes", said Cyrus. "Now you must excuse me, I have important business to attend to".

Mars beamed but Lucas shook his head frantically.

"No, wait! We haven't decided on forfeits yet".

"Of course", said Cyrus. "Pick something for me to have to do that would seem devastatingly humiliating from your perspective but won't concern me in the slightest because I don't feel the emotion of embarrassment".

"Um..." Lucas thought hard. "OK, if I beat you, you've gotta go to the shopping mall with Mars and Jupiter and go in whichever shops they want and stay there for ages".

"Alright, I accept", said Cyrus. (Mars smirked). "Now, what shall we do to you?"

"Make him wear something even worse than one of our jackets", said Saturn.

"Yeah, like his Mom's cocktail dress", Barry said eagerly.

Lucas gave Barry a death glare.

"Interesting", said Cyrus. "What is this dress like?"

"It's a black slinky little number with a low cut front and spaghetti straps", said Barry.

"Barry, you're awfully fascinated with that dress", Dawn remarked.

"Yes, that sounds a suitable garment", said Cyrus. "Very well then, if you lose, Lucas, you have to wear the dress and be chained to a lamppost in the middle of Jubilife City and with a sign around your neck that says _Cyrus beat me in another Pokemon Battle because his skill at battling and his Pokemon are infinitely superior to mine_".

"It won't all fit!" said Saturn.

"What? The dress?"

"No, the words on the sign".

"It's going to be a big sign", said Cyrus.

"But that'll hide his cleavage", Barry protested.

"Lucas darling, are you sure about this?" Dawn sighed.

"Yes", Lucas said firmly. He caught Cyrus' eyes and Cyrus stared back at him.

"Done", said Lucas and he held his hand out. Cyrus flinched slightly but then took Lucas' hand and shook it.

"Until sunset on Saturday night", he said.

* * *

_Solaceon Ruins, Thursday morning_

"This won't work", Barry said, shaking his head. "Lucas, just give up now, we're going to be in serious danger and all that cool stuff, you know".

"Barry, shush", said Lucas. "It's a fail proof plan".

Lucas, Dawn and Barry stood on the outskirts of the Ruins, trying to see into the distance. This was quite difficult, as it was a misty morning and fog swirled around, blotting out everything more than two feet away. The air was chill and dewdrops coated the tall blades of grass and tree leaves.

"Us three against one Pokemon", said Lucas confidently. "You fight first, Barry and if Terry knocks out your Torterra, then you go next Dawn. After a battle with your Infernape and then perhaps one with Pip, hopefully by then Terry should be weak enough for me to capture in an Ultra Ball".

"It sounds like it could work", said Dawn.

"As long as Terry doesn't jump us", said Barry, as they picked their way through the Ruins. "This thick fog is making me nervous".

"Ah, it's just early morning fog, it'll dissipate once the sun gets hot enough to burn it away", said Lucas. "Then we'll see clearly and..."...

Lucas stopped dead. Barry bumped into him and Dawn swerved in time.

"What is it Baby?" she whispered.

"Look", Lucas whispered back, pointing ahead. "What's that?"

There, sitting on a fallen column, was an eerie, shadowy figure.

"Wow!" breathed Barry. "You reckon that's Terry?"

"No, it's a human", said Dawn. "That's not shaped at all like a Pokemon".

Suddenly, the figure rose from the column. Silently, without a single word, it glided towards the three teenagers.

A thought suddenly struck Dawn. She nudged Lucas in excitement.

"Sweetie, maybe it's Terry's trainer, come in search of him!"

"I hope not", Lucas muttered.

The figure materialised out of the mist and was revealed to be an old man. He was stooped over, leaning upon a staff. His beard was long and grey and reached nearly to the grass beneath his feet.

"Good morning, youngsters", he said in a croaky voice.

"Blimey", said Barry. "He's older than I thought".

"That's not him, you plonker", Dawn said, nudging Barry. She smiled at the old man. "Good morning, Sir", she said. "Pleased to meet you".

"And I you", the old man said. He shook hands with Dawn and the boys. "Now, you must tell me your names".

"I'm Dawn", said Dawn. "And this is my boyfriend Lucas and our best mate, Barry".

"Aha, splendid", the old man said. "I am Lord Montague the 17th but you can call me Monty the Hobo. I became weary of the high life, so I retired here to be at one with nature".

"Um, hello Monty", said Lucas, nonplussed.

"Say, have you seen any Groundeons around here lately?" Barry said eagerly.

"Groundeons?" said Monty, frowning as he thought. "Hmm. Nope, sorry, young man. Haven't seen one o' them in donkeys' years".

"Oh", said Barry disappointed. "And you haven't ever owned one, have you?"

Dawn gazed up at the sky, as if she hoped Arceus would do something painful to Barry soonly.

"No, no, never young sir", said Monty.

Lucas sighed in relief. Barry shrugged and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Uh, Monty? Do you know anything about Groundeons?" Lucas asked. "Like, how to make friends with them?"

"Hm, not really lad", said Monty. "I know they can dig like crazy if they're frightened. They have shovel shaped tails for digging. They are partial to a drink of root beer and have an excellent sense of smell. But as for befriending them, nope. Sorry boy, can't help you there".

"Oh dear", Lucas sighed. "Well, thank you anyway".

"No problem, young man", said Monty. "Now, would you and your friends like to join me for breakfast? I have some fine herrings in the pot. Lovely, juicy crimson flesh when they are cooked, they have".

"Ohh, no thank you Monty", said Lucas. "We really must get going; we're looking for a Groundeon".

Lucas, Dawn and Barry said goodbye to Monty and set off deeper into the Ruins. "Humph", Lucas muttered. "As if we want any MORE red herrings!"

* * *

A few hours later, Lucas and his pals had explored the Solaceon Ruins from top to bottom but neither hide nor hair of a Groundeon did they see. They stopped for dinner; eating their sandwiches on the southern side of the Ruins. Lucas seemed a bit discouraged but Dawn and Barry tried to cheer him up.

"Come on Lucas, maybe Groundeons aren't morning Pokemon", Barry said. "Maybe they like to sleep in and only wake up after dinnertime".

"Or maybe they don't like the mist much", said Dawn. "But see now..."...she waved her hand towards the Ruins. "It's cleared and it's a fine sunny day. Maybe we'll have more luck this afternoon".

"Yeah, I bet we will", said Lucas, perking up. He swallowed the last mouthful of his cheese sandwich. "OK guys, shall we have another look?"

By the end of the day, Lucas, Dawn and Barry stood together, just outside the Ruins. The air was still and warm and the stars sparkled above them in a deep blue sky. Lucas' Ultra Ball was, however, Groundeon-less.

"Oh well, we tried", said Barry. "That was that and now Cyrus is going to hand you your arse on a plate on Saturday".

"We are not giving up yet", Lucas said indignantly. "There's still Friday and Saturday morning and afternoon to keep looking".

"But we've been all over the Ruins about five times", said Dawn. "We haven't even seen a Groundeon footprint".

"Maybe they don't leave footprints", said Lucas. "Or maybe it's hiding underground. Monty did say they liked to dig. Or maybe they are nocturnal".

He looked so desperate that Dawn and Barry relented.

"Alright then, Cupcake", said Dawn, kissing Lucas' cheek. "We'll keep looking, don't worry".

"Yeah", Barry agreed. "Never give up, huh, buddy boy!"

"No way!" Lucas said happily and he high fived his pals.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes: Cheers again for commenting guys! Glad that you are enjoying the story so far :) It's finally battle time for Lucas and his pals but how will it go?**

* * *

_Friday morning, Solaceon Ruins_

Lucas stared at the little bottle Dawn had given him. It was a small, round glass bottle, full of pale yellow potion.

"Devolution spray in liquid form?" he said. "I don't get it".

"Devolution potion", Dawn corrected him. "To use on Terry, if we should find him".

"But I don't want to devolve him", Lucas said in dismay. "He's big and badass! If he devolves into an Eevee, he won't be able to win against Cyrus".

"Yeah he will", said Barry. "My Dad said that devolved Pokemon retain all their moves that they knew as an evolved Pokemon so Terry will still know Hyper Beam and all that cool arse-kicking stuff".

"But he'll still be an Eevee", Lucas grumbled. "A cute, fluffy little Eevee. Cyrus would laugh at me if he had a sense of humour".

"Sweetie, let me explain", said Dawn. "If we do find Terry and if you do manage to capture him"... (Barry snorted)..."You'll be walking around with a _Wanted: Dead or Alive_ Pokemon. How long do you think you'd be allowed to keep him?"

"Oh!" said Lucas. His shoulders slumped. "Yeah, I never thought of that".

"The police would find out and take Terry off you", said Dawn. "And then, who knows what they would do to him?"

"They just see him as a remorseless killing machine", said Barry. "They don't understand that he's an old, weary tormented but still probably super cool Pokemon who would like to eat them but probably doesn't have enough teeth left to be able to do so. And, actually, all Terry probably wants is to be reunited with his beloved trainer".

"Lucas darling, they might kill him", said Dawn, gazing at Lucas with big, pained eyes. "We can't let him stay as a Groundeon. They'll never know it's him if he becomes a sweet little Eevee".

"OK, OK, you guys win", said Lucas, holding his hands up in the air. "We devolve Terry!" Dawn squealed and flung her arms around Lucas' neck. Barry slapped him on the back and beamed at him.

"Nice one mate! You really do care about Pokemon, you know that".

"I know", said Lucas, smiling and rubbing his back. "So, shall we begin our searching?"

All morning and all afternoon, Lucas and his friends combed the Ruins, after any sign of the Groundeon. They met Monty again twice (and were persuaded to have a drink of Dandelion tea with him the second time). As the sun began to sink into the west, Lucas felt his hopes draining away.

_This is no use at all_, he thought. _Killer Groundeon on the loose, my arse! We've wasted two flipping days here and found NOTHING!_

"Hey, Lucas!" Barry ran over to his friend. "Come over here a minute, me and Dawn have found this weird thing that wasn't here yesterday".

Lucas followed Barry to a clearing, set in a suspiciously round hollow. Half broken columns rose up on either side and overgrown bushes and shrubs filled the gaps between them. Dawn was crouching down in the grass, her hand hovering over a pale tan object.

"Look!" she said, holding it up for Lucas to see. "Look at this weird piece of pottery".

Lucas peered closely. It appeared to be the lip of an old jar. There were crude carvings of Bidoofs on it. Lucas sighed.

"Babe, that's just another red herring", he said.

"Yeah but it's so cool", Barry said with enthusiasm. "Maybe we can take it to the museum and get some big Pokebucks for it".

Lucas was about to say that he didn't care when he felt something under his feet. A slight, rumbling sensation. Barry immediately looked down and Dawn took a step backwards.

"Here, did you guys feel that?" Barry asked.

"Yeah", said Dawn. She stared at the patch of grass they had just vacated. The grass was quivering and shaking, as if a strong wind was blowing it. A low, rumbling sound occurred, deep beneath the surface.

The rumbling grew louder. And louder. The grass trembled and a nearby rock split into two.

Lucas, Dawn and Barry backed away as quickly as they could, stumbling over tussocks and loose pebbles. Dawn and Barry looked scared but Lucas was elated.

"I think I know what's coming up!" he announced.

Then the ground exploded; earth, plants and grass flying up into the sky as a Pokemon burst forth. A massive brown Pokemon, with grey fur around its ears and muzzle. Its eyes gleamed like precious jewels; its sharp claws glinted in the weak sunlight. Its left foreleg was held at a strange angle so the claws partially faced upwards. Then, it raised its shovel like tail and bared a mouth full of yellowed teeth at the teenagers.

"It's showtime!" Lucas breathed.

* * *

The Groundeon charged at Dawn and Barry, snarling with fury. Dawn shrieked and threw the Devolution potion at it. The bottle smashed, glass mingling with yellow liquid and it splashed all over the Pokemon. There was a burst of yellow smoke, followed by a brilliant flash of light. The Groundeon howled and when the smoke cleared, it had reverted back to an Eevee. A scruffy looking Eevee with a bent foreleg and most of the fur missing from its ruff.

"Oh Arceus, that was close", gasped Dawn.

"Good shot", said Lucas, impressed. "Now, let's battle and capture it!"

Barry withdrew his Pokeball from his pocket. Pressing the button on it, his Torterra leapt forth.

"Go Tortilla!" he shouted.

Lucas groaned.

"Barry, if I ever meet a trainer who gives his Pokemon dafter names, I swear I will stick my head down a public toilet and let you flush it as many times as you wish!"

"Tortilla, use Leaf Storm", yelled Barry. "Lucas, is that a bet?"

"NO!" Dawn said crossly. "No more freaking bets!"

"Ten Pokebucks and you're on", said Lucas. "Oh blimey, what's Terry doing?"

Terry had easily dodged Tortilla's attack and was now using one of his own. He fired a beam of ice directly at the giant tortoise. The air became so cold that Lucas wrapped his arms around his body and for the one and only time in his entire life, was so happy to be wearing Cyrus' jacket.

The ice hit Tortilla and he keeled over in a one hit K.O. Barry howled and clenched his fists.

"Oh noooooooooooooooooooooo! My Pokemon!"

"Bloody hell!" exclaimed Lucas. "Dawn, quick, you're up next".

Dawn released her Infernape from its ball. "Go Fern!" she cried. "Use Flare Blitz!"

Fern shot out a wall of powerful flames and Lucas backed away from the searing heat. The flames died away and Terry blinked. His whiskers weren't even singed.

"What the heck? That Eevee must be about level 1,000!" Lucas yelled.

Terry then used Earthquake. The ground shook and columns toppled over left right and centre. Lucas, Dawn and Barry fell over too and when the shaking finally stopped and Lucas scrambled back up, he saw that Fern was out for the count too.

"No way!" Dawn gasped. "That little sweetheart is really REALLY tough".

Terry cocked his head on one side, glaring round at the challengers. Lucas groaned and reached for his Pokeball.

"It's up to me now and I do NOT feel confident! OK, go Pip!"

Lucas' Empoleon leapt forwards and at his trainer's command, used his Hydro Pump. Water gushed everywhere, flooding the Ruins and probably putting out Monty's cooking fire, if he was still cooking. The water drained away at last and Terry shook his head, droplets spraying out everywhere. He looked slightly weary but still determined. He turned to face Pip and attacked with a brilliant blast of light.

"Nooooooooooooooooooooo, not Hyper Beam! Lucas shrieked. The light smacked right into the Empoleon, knocking him out within seconds. Dawn stared, fascinated and Barry gasped like a landed Magikarp. Lucas covered his eyes.

"Such power!" he wailed. "And I can't bloody well catch the little arsehole".

"Never mind that", Barry yelled. "How are we going to protect US now, huh?"

"I'll use a Ball, don't panic!" said Lucas, panicking himself silly. He threw an Ultra Ball at Terry. The Ball caught him and it rocked for a split second before the Eevee burst free and charged at Lucas, wild with fury. He collided into Lucas, knocking him flat on his back and bared his teeth, ready for the death bite to his neck.

Dawn and Barry squealed and ran forward in a vain attempt to help their pal but they were so far away. Lucas closed his eyes, waiting for his life to end. _At least I won't have the humiliation of being beaten in another Pokemon battle by Cyrus_ he thought.

* * *

Lucas waited for the inevitable pain and gush of jugular blood. Instead he felt something soft and warm, nuzzling against his chest. Opening his eyes a little, he saw that Terry was rubbing against him in a friendly manner. The little Eevee looked up and chirruped softly.

"Y-you're not g-going to eat me?" Lucas stammered.

Terry shook his head; his sparse ruff fluffing up. He rubbed his face against Lucas' neck and began to purr loudly. Lucas felt his fear receding and his elation beginning to stir.

"No way", muttered Barry in amazement. "No bloody way!"

"Oh, Lucas, sweetie!" Dawn gushed. "He likes you. You were right! He really, really likes you".

"He does?" Lucas panted. He sat up, very carefully so as not to dislodge the Eevee. Terry whined and pawed at the zip on Lucas' jacket. Lucas smiled and pulled it down, allowing his new Pokemon friend to crawl inside.

"How did he do that?" Barry demanded, staring up at the sky as if he was waiting for an answer from Arceus. "How did he tame that bloody Pokemon?"

"That's amazing!" Lucas breathed. "I-I don't understand but I sure don't mind". He cautiously put his hand inside the jacket and petted Terry's furry head.

"Are you g-going to keep him now? Barry asked, sitting down next to Lucas. Dawn sat on the other side of him and patted his shoulder.

"I don't know", Lucas said softly. "Maybe, if he'll go inside a Pokeball of his own will".

Dawn felt inside Lucas' backpack and pulled out an Ultra Ball. "Here, try it", she said, handing him the ball. "See what he does".

Lucas held the Ball out to Terry. "You wanna live in here?"

Terry shook his head and clamed out of the jacket. He put his paws on Lucas' arm for a moment and gazed up at him. His brown eyes were friendly and curious and there was a determined look in them.

Then he jumped down onto the grass, turned round and ran off, limping as he went.

"He's gone!" Lucas cried.

"He must be going to find his way home", said Dawn, clutching at Lucas' arm, her eyes over bright. "He can return to his original trainer now that's he's a harmless Eevee".

"You call THAT harmless?" Barry said incredulously.

"I mean he won't be hunted anymore", said Dawn. She blinked and wiped her eyes. Lucas put his arm around her shoulders.

"You were right", he murmured. "He couldn't ever be mine. But, ohhh, he was so powerful".

"Karma, Sweetie, think of karma", Dawn reassured her boyfriend. "You did a good deed, befriending Terry and letting him leave of his own accord. That good deed won't pass unforgotten".

"I hope not", said Lucas. He felt Barry's arm go around his other shoulder and pat him awkwardly. The three of them sat there, on the soggy, icy, ravage aged ground, staring into the distance, where the little lost Eevee had vanished.

Then Lucas smiled.

"Barry", he said.

"Uhuh?"

"You've gotta eat an energy root!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes:**

**Here it is, the final chapter and the epilogue. Cheers to everybody who has read, commented and followed :)**

* * *

_Saturday morning, Solaceon Town_

It was a pretty hot morning, even for Sinnoh in August. Lucas, Dawn and Barry made their way down the high street; Dawn fanning herself with her hand and Barry darting from building to building in search of shade.

"Barry, if you race up and down like that, you'll make yourself even hotter", Dawn pointed out.

"I couldn't be hotter if I camped inside Stark Mountain", Barry said.

"Yes you could, silly!" said Dawn. "Anyway, look, we're outside of Mocha Cafe. Let's go and get a drink".

Lucas and Barry agreed and they all went inside, glad to be out of the blazing sun. The fans were on and a cooling breeze blew down from the ceiling.

"I think I'm gonna have a chocolate ice cream float", said Barry.

"And I'll have a mint chocolate float", said Lucas.

"And I'm having..."...Dawn paused and let out a gasp.

"What's up, Sweetie?" Lucas asked.

"Look! Bebe is over there", said Dawn, pointing to the counter. Lucas and Berry peeped through the crowds, trying to get a glimpse. Sure enough, Bebe was standing there, smiling and talking to the cashier. She took her purse out of her handbag and paid for her order with a twenty Pokedollar note.

"Oh, Bebe was the one who bred Terry! Let's tell her we saw and battled him and he made friends with Lucas and then ran away into the fog", Barry said eagerly.

"Yes, then maybe she can look for him and find him", Lucas agreed. The three teenagers followed Bebe, weaving their way through the tables and throngs of people. They saw Bebe slip into a booth in the corner, greet some unknown friends and then bend down to pet something.

"I think maybe she already has", said Dawn with a happy sigh.

"Let's tell her about our epic battle though anyway, c'mon you guys", said Barry.

Bebe heard Lucas and the others approaching and she looked up and smiled.

"Hello you three", she said. "Have you come to say hi to this dear little Eevee?

"Yeah, we know him", said Barry at once. "We met him in the Solaceon Ruins and he was oof!" Dawn and Lucas nudged Barry hard on each side to make him shut up.

"Oooh! You found him, did you?" Bebe said in surprise.

"Uh yeah and Lucas made friends with him and tamed him", said Barry.

Lucas blushed and Barry steered him closer, round to the entrance of the booth. Next to Bebe, sat Saturn and Jupiter and opposite her, were Cyrus and Mars. A little Eevee, now much cleaner, sat on Bebe's lap, purring loudly.

"Ha, Lucas!" said Saturn with a grin. "We just keep bumping into each other, don't we?"

"Huh?" gasped Lucas, startled.

"It's Lucas, he's following us round", said Mars. "He secretly wants to join Team Galactic but can't bear to admit it".

"I, uh..."...stammered Lucas.

"Lucas, can I buy you a drink?" offered Cyrus.

Lucas frowned. "Why would you wanna do that?" he said in a suspicious tone.

"It's your last and final drink before he defeats you completely and utterly in battle tonight", smirked Barry.

"Humph!" Lucas glanced at Terry on Bebe's lap and felt his confidence grow. "I may win this time. Since we last met, I've been battling powerful Pokemon. I've been to the brink of death and back".

Dawn rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Now Lucas" Bebe said in a soothing voice. "That was a very kind gesture of Cyrus, he wasn't mocking you". Lucas went red.

"Uh, OK. Sorry Cyrus", he said.

"Apology accepted", said Cyrus.

Bebe smiled. "Lucas, would you like to pet Terry?"

"Sure", said Lucas, who wanted to show in front of everybody that the wild killer Eevee had been tamed by him exclusively. Terry glanced up, blinking his eyes sleepily. Lucas reached out and rubbed his head.

"Hey little guy", he murmured. "You remember me, huh?" Terry began to purr.

"He likes me", Lucas said smugly. Terry head butted Lucas' hand. Then he jumped down off Bebe's lap and trotted under the table over to Cyrus. Cyrus bent down, picked him up and settled him onto his lap.

Lucas gaped.

"Awww, he must be friendly again to everyone now that he isn't lost and alone anymore", Dawn gushed.

"Yeah and to think what he was like before", Barry muttered.

Cyrus caught Lucas eye and held his gaze.

"Lucas, are you ready for our battle tonight?"

"As ready as I'll ever be", said Lucas, still basking in his new confidence.

Cyrus checked his watch.

"The time is exactly 11:25 and 56 seconds", he said. "So, our battle will commence in..."...

"That late", Lucas gasped. He turned to Bebe. "I'm really sorry Bebe but we gotta rush off and leave you now. I need to practise. I MUST win this time".

"Of course", smiled Bebe. "Good luck dear".

"You're gonna need it", said Mars.

"Humph!" said Lucas. He turned to Dawn and Barry. Dawn smiled at him in an encouraging manner. Barry gave him the thumbs up.

"Let's do it", he said.

As they turned to leave, Lucas gazed at Terry one last time. Terry blinked slowly and chirruped.

"Bye, little guy", said Lucas. "I dunno if we'll ever meet again but if we do, well..."...

"Come on Lucas, there's no time for emotional farewells, we gotta practise our battling like there's not tomorrow", said Barry. He steered Lucas and Dawn followed them, waving goodbye to Bebe and Team Galactic. As they left, Terry licked his lips, before settling back down to go to sleep.

* * *

**The Killer Epilogue**

It was early morning in Jubilife City. The sun rose through a haze of most, casting a pale yellow light on the steel and glass of the tall buildings. Cars moved slowly along the roads and bikes weaved in and out of them, rushing to work. A few people on their way to the shops paused to gaze curiously at a teenage boy, who was chained to a lamppost and clad in a black cocktail dress. Two other teens stood near him; a boy with his hands in his pockets and a sympathetic looking girl.

"Why?" Lucas groaned. "Why oh why did I have to lose?"

"It's Karma, Lucas", Dawn said severely. "You were very rude to Cyrus when he offered to buy you a drink the other day".

"Dawn, that's not fair" Lucas whined. "I said sorry afterwards, didn't I?"

"Yes, after Bebe prompted you!"

Lucas huffed.

"Aw, you're my girlfriend, you're supposed to stick up for me and support me".

"I am supporting you", said Dawn. "I'm here, keeping you company".

"I'm here too", said Barry. "But to be honest, that's just to laugh at you in your Mom's dress".

"Huh!" Lucas sulked. "Bloody Cyrus! Why must his Pokemon always be, how does he say it..._infinitely superior to mine_?"

"At least he didn't write that on the sign though", said Barry.

"Yeah", said Lucas. "Yeah, you're right".

He looked down at the sign which hung around his neck and grinned a little.

_I helped reunite Cyrus with his Pokemon_.

**The End**


End file.
